Font Size
Jeremiah 5:21-31
New International Version
Jeremiah 5:21-31
New International Version
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(A)
who have eyes(B) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(C)
22 Should you not fear(D) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(E) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(F)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(G) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(H) hearts;
they have turned aside(I) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(J) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(K) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(L)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(M)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(N)
who lie in wait(O) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(P) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(Q)
they have become rich(R) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(S) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(T)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(U)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(V) myself
on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 5:21-31
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah 5:21-31
New American Standard Bible
21 ‘Now hear this, you foolish and [a]senseless people,
Who have (A)eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not (B)fear Me?’ declares the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have (C)placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it.
Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, they will not cross over it.
23 But this people has a (D)stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
Who (E)gives rain in its season,
Both (F)the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The (G)appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your (H)wrongdoings have turned these away,
And your sins have kept good away from you.
26 For wicked people are found among My people,
They (I)watch like fowlers [b]lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of (J)deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28 They are (K)fat, they are sleek,
They also [c]excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the [d](L)orphan, so that they may be successful;
And they do not [e]defend the rights of the poor.
29 (M)Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the Lord,
‘Or shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?’
30 “An appalling and (N)horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31 The (O)prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [f]on their own authority;
And My people (P)love it this way!
But what will you do [g]when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:21 Lit without heart
- Jeremiah 5:26 Perhaps, crouching down
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over; or overlook deeds
- Jeremiah 5:28 Or fatherless
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit judge
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit over their own hands
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit at the end of it
Jeremiah 5:21-31
Amplified Bible
Jeremiah 5:21-31
Amplified Bible
21
‘Now hear this, O foolish people without heart,
Who have eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.(A)
22
‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence?
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal decree and a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass.
Though the waves [of the sea] toss and break, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back];
Though the waves and the billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier].
[Is not such a God to be feared?]
23
‘But this people has a stubborn heart and a rebellious will [that draws them away from Me];
They have turned away and have gone [into idolatry].
24
‘They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear and worship the Lord our God [with profound awe and reverence],
Who gives rain in its season,
Both the autumn and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25
‘Your wickedness has turned these [blessings] away,
And your sins have withheld good [harvests] from you.
26
‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers who lie in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
27
‘As a cage is full of birds,
So are their houses full of deceit and treachery;
Therefore they have become influential and rich.
28
‘They are fat and they are sleek (prosperous),
They [a]excel in acts of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, so that they [the wicked] may prosper,
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
29
‘Shall I not punish them [for these things]?’ says the Lord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself
On such a nation as this?’
30
“An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction]
Has come to pass in the land:
31
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [b]on their own authority;
And My people love [to have] it so!
But what will you do when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over, or, overlook deeds.
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit by their own hands.
Jeremiah 5:21-31
King James Version
Jeremiah 5:21-31
King James Version
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22 Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Read full chapter
Jeremiah 5:21-31
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 5:21-31
English Standard Version
21 “Hear this, (A)O foolish and senseless people,
(B)who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
22 (C)Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand (D)as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though (E)they roar, they cannot pass over it.
23 (F)But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say in their hearts,
‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
(G)who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
(H)the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
25 (I)Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
26 For wicked men are found among my people;
(J)they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.[a]
(K)They set a trap;
they catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
28 (L)they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
(M)they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
29 (N)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?”
30 An appalling and (O)horrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 (P)the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule at their direction;
(Q)my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:26 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.